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1st school engagement pilot. Soon to be citizen scientists
Our first school engagement pilot: introducing air quality and PEACE-Air to Letterkenny students
This Tuesday 29th of September, PEACE-Air team ran its first community (school) engagement pilot in two Letterkenny schools: Errigal College and Scoil Mhuire gan Smál.
The goal was simple to state and ambitious to achieve : to introduce students to air quality and the PEACE-Air project, and take the first step toward turning them into citizen scientists.
What we did
We visited both schools to talk about what’s actually in the air we breathe, where air pollution comes from, why it matters for health and climate, and how can they actively contribute to making the air cleaner. Students also learned about the PEACE-Air project itself.
What we learned
The results from this first pilot are encouraging. Students in both schools left with a clearer understanding of what causes air pollution and what it means for people and the environment around them. Just as importantly, they came away knowing that there’s something they personally can do about it, in small, everyday ways. They also now know that PEACE-Air exists, that it’s working on this issue on their behalf, and that we want them involved in that work, not just informed about it.
In short: the approach is working. Early engagement, delivered in a way students can relate to, builds the understanding and the appetite to go further.
What’s next
The next step is to turn that interest into action. We’ll return to teach students how to gather their own air quality data, using mobile sensors we’ll make available to them. Rather than simply being told about air pollution, students will measure it themselves.
That’s the real goal behind this pilot: not a one-off talk, but the start of a lasting relationship between PEACE-Air and the schools and communities we work with. We want students to become genuine citizen scientists, contributing real data to a project that affects their own air.
Thank you to the staff and students at Errigal College and Scoil Mhuire gan Smal for such a welcoming first visit. More schools, and more sensors, to follow.
PEACE-Air is supported by the PEACEPLUS Programme, managed by the Special EU Programmes Body (SEUPB).
